A group of archaeologists unearthed the remains of a pregnant woman and a fetus who died approximately 1,200 years ago, presumed to be a ritual human sacrifice in prehistoric Ecuador. The woman’s bones revealed she had been bludgeoned, suggesting this was the cause of death, and then dismembered post-mortem.
“The fact that it was a woman who was pregnant might indicate that women held important positions of power, and thus their power needed to be ‘managed” Sara Juengst, one of the archaeologists at the site said.
Juengst and her colleagues published their findings in the Journal of Latin American Antiquity. The researchers dated the burial to the Manteño period (800 AD to 1531 AD) in pre-hispanic Ecuador.
6 additional graves were unearthed alongside the sacrificed pregnant woman in Ecuador
The researchers used radiocarbon dating to determine that the woman was between 17 to 20 years old, and seven to nine months pregnant at the time she was sacrificed. She died at some point between 771 AD and 953 AD.
Archaeologists observed fractures on her skull, suggesting the cause of death was a blow to the front of her head. Further examination of her remains indicates that someone removed the woman’s hand and left leg shortly after.
The team noted in their study that human sacrifice was uncommon among coastal Ecuadorian cultures. They also noted that the items buried with the woman made the site even more unique.
Some of those artifacts include cockle shells placed over her eyelids, crescent-shaped ornaments, three obsidian blades wrapped around her body, and a crab claw placed over her abdomen. The ornaments, made from Spondylus mollusk shells, were 2,000 years older than the burial site and would have been extremely valuable trade items at the time, according to the researchers.
Restos de mujer embarazada de 1.200 años en Ecuador apuntan a sacrificio para aplacar el fenómeno de El Niño. Más información en: https://t.co/cUCGaebg3y pic.twitter.com/MnxSNVnW1k
— Interesante (@einsteresante) January 27, 2025
The woman’s burial site is contradictory, researchers say
Juengst noted that this particular case is contradictory, given the contrast between the “dehumanizing” nature of the pregnant woman’s sacrifice and the valuable goods that were buried with her.
She also noted that the placement of goods around the woman’s body suggests protection and special treatment for her and her fetus. Their study has proposed two hypotheses that could explain the woman’s death and its unusual burial.
According to archaeologists, the pregnant woman was sacrificed during a period of intense El Niño weather events in Ecuador, which likely caused severe issues with crop yields. This hypothesis suggests that she may have been killed due to her literal fertility, with the hope of ensuring agricultural success for that culture.
The researchers noted that many of the artifacts she was buried with “evoked watery environments”, suggesting a deeper link to important natural resources.
Women had positions of high power in Manteño society
The second hypothesis has less to do with spirituality and beliefs. Instead, it is linked to hierarchy in Manteño society.
The researchers noted in their study that burial patterns suggest women had a lot of political and social power within this society. “If a rival of this woman wanted to take over, they would need to eliminate her and her unborn offspring, but they would also still give her honor based on her status” Juengst said.
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